Give Generously

Miller striker Bible to know what you go to Matthew chapter 6 this morning we been in something of a disjointed season with coming out of the holidays and tried to navigate this virus situation and coming into the conference and was thinking about getting ready for it.

I look forward to after the conference. Jumping back into our book study of second Timothy, but I wanted to give you this message before the conference this morning. Matthew chapter 6 and just hold your Bible open there for a moment and let me talk to you practical things that are foundational to the way we function here. Great lecture to the shows and have for many, many years first of all and all this is introduction that we just set this aside all right. I was so you'd mentioned to you furnished three basic biblical truths about giving three basic options I three basic biblical types of giving. I'm not saying they're not there only three there may be many more, but these three basic truths about the way were to give to support God's work are are common in abundant in Scripture. First of all, we believe in teaching not legalistic delete not as a commandment of works but out of the heart of love. We believe in teaching that we ought to bring a tithe for the local operating budget of the church tithe is a guide it's not an absolute matter fact under grace.

I think you would consider it a starting point. As one person said, learning the tithe and teaching post a tithe is like the training wheels of giving it just gets you going have faithfully by God's grace always given more than the tied to the local operating budget of my church I could not I would not charge you to do something.

I haven't lived.

I did that when I made $50 a week.

When I first came on staff and I do that today. So the Bible teaches tithing and more for the local operating budget of the church. Secondly, and this is what were talking about today. A lot. And that's a faith commitment offering for world mission. That is, there's this thing in the New Testament it Dean is not an absolute is not, and but there's an illustration in and in second Corinthians of how Paul wanted the local church at Corinth to get ready to give up missions offering the hell the Saints over in Jerusalem who were suffering so Paul seeing some of the brethren taught us in some of the brethren to call orient the head to get them ready to give their gifts and that's a faith commitment offering when you take your faith commitment envelope and you indicate on the top line what you're going to give on the second line. The frequency you're going to give it will total all those up and will make our mission trip budget, but you're not giving it yet. This is getting you ready to give an excellent second printing to 90s posted the brethren of the men fact, Paul said I'm going to send the brethren ahead to guard against covetousness. I know you want to give a good gift but I need I need to send some brothers overhead to get you ready to give it. Then later I'll come in some of the brothers will come for me. That's what will start receiving the gifts for this missions offering to go to the church in Jerusalem. So from that biblical truth will develop the faith commitment often is not original with me or us is been around a while we put our own twist on it. That's another biblical truth about giving and God has mightily wonderfully blessed our mission support since we went to this approach, so we get 12 months out of the year, but all will be doing the week of the conference is indicating what will give that is getting ready to start giving the state will put you on the spot. When does the new year start July 1 not always just start the next month with my new amount but would you say would be right to say sometime between the conference in July. First, your new amount needs to be taken in. Is that right. Hopefully by April. All right, I know he bump it up little bit five will anyway, it gives us an idea how to set up our world missions budget and as I said, God has wonderfully wonderfully blessed that I remember years in go when we first went to this approach. It was not the southern Baptist way of doing mission support because southern badness always had a Christmas love offering Missy was that that was home missions. I think of that Easter offering for international mission. And that's fine. That's perfectly fine, but when we went to this approach.

We went from about $40,000 a year to hundreds of thousands of dollars a year getting criticism from the denominational leaders and I started saying, can you teach us how you did that literally.

I preached at big churches, all of America about how to teach and lead your church to be involved in missions because they lack the extra money. Well, we'll give me the money today so that matter yes but nevertheless that's just a little tidbit of history.

The third biblical truth. We've used for various times or something for special and unique needs. That's what I call a lifestyle sacrifice is where we look at a project we look at a need and we say we need a huge amount of financial resources to get this done.

So let's all join in together. Let's make a three year commitment over the next three years while going to give above and beyond an amount from our house. So from our lifestyle to meet this need, this next project and will take something out of our lifestyles were the most common illustrations is I'm not going to buy a new car for three years and will keep the old car in that house on that car payment. I would've paid for car I'll give that to that special project we called it a lifestyle sacrifice for special needs. Now I don't have time. But these are thoroughly taught in Scripture, and there could be others, but we found that God has blessed that through the earth is it not wonderful that we don't have to have special offerings to hire the architect to renovate the old auditorium to build the new auditorium.

It's all been done. Praise the Lord, which might not be good for us. By the way, get the resting on your laurels you get a Days Inn in Zion, and that's not good for you. Sometimes but you know me will find something to spend our money on medevac gods blessed us with a wonderful balance in our local operating budget and so hopefully we can continue to patch admit it. Fixing stuff around here that literally Lotta things had been touched in 30 to 40 years. Now let's go to real quick for basic biblical truths about Christian financial blessing if you want to be financially blessed. Now this does include the amount of money our wealth. God allows you to have but is not necessarily absolutely that often the financial blessing you listen to me means that the the finances God entrusted to you are blessed instead of cursed, you're better off to have little or nothing. That's blessed then have a whole lot that's got the curse of God on never seen a wealthy individual grow old.

He was greedy and selfish and didn't honor God with their wealth and so the wealth that the head is not a blessing to them it becomes a curse and a bitterness in their lives.

How do we have, how are we to be financially blessed description well foundation only and I need to say a whole lot about this, but just not time the heart condition is the primary foundational issue okay you hearing me. The heart condition heart that striving to joy in Christ heart that is striving to treasure Christ heart, that can say Lord I enjoy good stuff and nice things. If you see fit to bless me. But you are my true joy and you are my true treasure if that's not fair. Everything else I'm telling you is null and void. Where were not about superstition.

You don't just plug in a formula and zap you get something okay. It's the heart condition. But with the heart condition, being right. These four basic biblical principles must be there number one hard work number one hard work, is it not a testament to the fallen non-wisdom and depravity of men's hearts and minds that we have a massive movement in our world today of handing out stuff to everybody that they can dip that defined as needy are a victim or oppressed or whatever it might be, and they end up with this with his warped sense of compassion actually hurting the people are trying to help you to walk God ordained people were for their wealth. You put a person you you drag a person down beneath the level of human dignity when you just give to them without any responsibility, and these liberals and leftists that are teaching this stuff. All they're doing is ruining a whole generation of people. God ordained work hard work that is true. When you get when you got 3040 50 years and that you shouldn't have to hold your nose to the grind stone in those first 20 or 30 years. That next part of God's blessed.

Generally speaking, hard work is a foundational truth for blessing number two spit sponsor but not again.

I got served on each one of these, and I'm trying not to speak the leverage points spin responsibly just means that you have a disciplined approach.

I budgeted type approach to your expenditures in your life and course one of the things there would be to be care to be very careful about indebtedness and the things you will have any debt toward number three hard worker spin responsible.

Thirdly, invest wisely, the Bible teaches, there is an importance in putting back in and saving even investing your money why there's parables in the New Testament, our Lord used how wise it is to invest and get a return. That's a good thing. That's a gift from God. You can expect to go through your life with no wisdom about putting back our investing and be blessed financially. Now we come to the fourth one and that's where I'm going to camp this morning. Give generously give generously.

You cannot be blessed of God and have blessed wealth if you're not one who has a heart that says I want to generously honor and support the Lord's work and as you make your faith commitment again on the top line. You'll indicate the amount you want a commitment to missions this next year. The grace life church and on the second line you'll indicate how often that amount will be turned in when you do that my joy is not in the final number is really not. It used to be a lot but it's not because I know God's will take care of his resources. If our hearts are right, but that you give generously with the right heart motive and attitude, not out of guilt not out of some deal with the Lord that I'll do this.

Lord, if you'll do that.

No export.

We want to see you advanced and you glorified in the best we understand our Bibles the way to do that is through our local churches.

Now the foundational truth here. Matthew chapter 6 verses 31 through 33. I have just 33 on the screen. But let's get the context Matthew 631. Do not worry, then our Lord says about what we will eat or what we will drink, or what will wear for clothing for the Gentiles. Those that don't know God eagerly seek all those things.

The words, why would your life be driven just like those who are pagans and don't know the don't know God, for your heavenly father miniver started to your heavenly father knows you need all this stuff, that's my translation, verse 33 but seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all that stuff you need will be added to you. That's the way a disciple lives. That's where God fear, one who striving to honor the Lord lives, he strives to put God's calls first and trust God to bring the clothing the food the provisions the material elements of life. Let me give you some points here there, but I could pull out many others, but from a systematic overview of Scripture.

Here's the point I want to bring up this morning I the prophet in giving the prophet and given that… Not prophet like a preacher but prophetlike money I would say amused, but really I'm I'm saddened by the number of reformed and conservative scholars who come to the verses in the Bible that clearly teach God. Generally speaking, wants to bless you financially and are so afraid of the prosperity gospel movement, which is wrong which is out about her so afraid of that movement. They overlook these truths and explain them away.

Let's look at it together again. The heart motive is the key foundational iffy issue, but if the heart is right and you are generous in your giving primarily to God's work in God calls us here some verses and I'll just run through them.

Proverbs 821 two and die all those who love me with wealth that I may fill their treasuries. Let me know. God's always going to make godly people wealthy, but generally speaking, God has a pattern of blessing. Those who love him and strive to put him first.

Now includes more than material wealth, but we cannot say it does not include material wealth. Sometimes God does just blessed in ways that it and it's not financial. After we've given that very often it is and does include financial blessing back to the one who gave Proverbs 1125 the generous man will be prosperous and he who waters will himself be watered. Proverbs 22 four the reward are consequence of humility and the fear the Lord our riches, honor, and life can get around this. You just can't explain why.

It includes financial recompense back to the giver from the hand of God. Malachi 310 bring the whole tithe into the storehouse so that there may be food in my house and test me know when this is the Lord. If will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overthrow overflows rather so here they are bringing material gifts to God's work at the temple and God's is a field day that with the heart motive well say that it comes back and blesses you know a lot of you out there you been out you been added 20 3040 years like me, and God's just blessed you mean it's not the wealthiest guy in town maybe, but you just things up in God. I mean, did you think that happened saying, have you not tried to tie the ring offering to make faith commitments through the years. Should it surprise you that God brings back the financial blessing you shouldn't God just does those kind of thing will escrow the New Testament. Second Corinthians on eight and God is able to make all grace abound to you, that always having all sufficiency in everything is talk about material goods. You may have an abundance for every good deed. So again we give God gives it back. We give some more and we keep this reciprocal flow going and our live Philippians 419 after the Philippian church had sent to Paul and abundant offering for his ministry.

Paul writes in my God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

That means in proportion to the infinite wealth God hands. He will supply back to you can't take this out of the Bible is so clear. Mark 1029 through 30. Jesus said, truly, I say to you, there's no one who has left house to honor the Lord. Sometimes it may cost you for a while or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms for my sake and the gospel's sake. That means Matthew 633 through in your life you put Christ's kingdom first and it cost you might materially but that he shall receive 100 times as much now in the present age is not just talking about spiritual blessing, though it includes that could use a real specific care houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms along with persecutions and in the age to come eternal clearly taught in Scripture. This is a strong verse we see when God blesses me materially. He gloriously brings with it and often before it certain trials that hold me less the material gain. Draw me from a pure devotion to him you got understand you'll bring something with that material blessing that humbles you and causes you to say I enjoyed this stuff, but he's missed us. He's my real joy. God's wife. He loves you too much to let stuff ruin you. He loves you too much to let material blessings become your God because the money is a wonderful tool. Money is a cruel master Luke 638 given it will be given to you good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, they will pour into your lap in a come through other people.

Other places, for by your standard of immeasurably measure to you in return. In the last few months I've had several of our faithful businessmen in orchestrated just maybe in the hallway.

I think once I went out to lunch this up after years wouldn't believe this happened in this happened in this person bought this out of my hat and I got three times more for the never thought it would be worth in God just glad he's not looking forward. I didn't go out and have a strategic plan just happened and I've been materially blessed. I just happen to know these men for decades, and I know how generous they are to honor God's work, listen to me folks that just happen. So, yeah, but I know pagan and wicked men. That stuff just falls in the laugh they got great wealthiest peers problem. It's cursed wealth it's cursed wealth and I can't really enjoy it because it owns the they don't own it. There's a difference. Remember I told you many many times is not seem to have wealth of sin to love wealth, I know more people who are poor who have the seal of the love of money that I know wealthy people have the sin of loving money because they're more poor people than are wealthy people. It's hard issue. You have nothing and love it and love staff you have a lot of stuff and love stuff but is the heart attitude. Pam and I were talking about.

I've mentioned some of these things in the past but how God has proven this truth in my own life and I just want to mention some of these for the glory of God in humbly admit that what I have came from the hand of God is nothing I deserve nothing I can claim credit for but we had a revival meeting here many, many years ago and some of you remember that the singing group was traveling in this old dilapidated motorhome and I forgot how many children were in the singing group.

It was a bunch for me that was in a desperate place and I'll let us to do something I've never done before that it never done since then. I got in the pulpit and said Pam and I have a little money and we just had a little swimming. This is pretty early in our marriage and when Pam and I got married well. She had some money because she was a superstar person you know all about that she had money but I didn't have anything know she'd gotten some gifts and that was nice.

But before we married you couldn't had more of nothing that I have. You just could.

I had all of nothing. You probably have and we put little money back for some some patio furniture. What were going to give the money we got put back to help them buy a motorhome.

I said nobody should feel obligation with anybody else. Each unit I think it went on for two or three hours. People just get clipping money and we gave them about $35,000 to buy the motorhome.

Here's the part you don't know. Couple weeks later, flaming church bought me a Pam patio furniture stuff just keeps coming back when you try to put first the kingdom of God. You'll remember the old auditorium over there is the chapel were on our third renovation of that building with this is the best one, but we were going to renovate that building. This is been many many years ago and Pam and I had again put some money back for an anniversary. I think that was our 10th anniversary.

I'm not sure and I'm not as is discipline wise with Steve. I've never had a real good emergency account. I've had little but not much. But anyway we thought we need to renovate that building found the pastor I need to be an example need to charge my people to give if I'm not going to do it so we cleaned out our bank account again gave the money we put back for an anniversary trip to renovate the building and God blessed and you guys came through. We renovated that building but over the next couple years. I got a check from an insurance company had no idea it was coming and we got free trips to both New York to see some plays and Hawaii. We had a better trip than we could've ever forded God knows how to bring it back to limit the listen at this point, there have been times when we've tried to give generously because honestly from an American definition. We were, strapped because of our commitment to give and it didn't flow right back in your God was telling me. Did you give it to get it back or did you give it because you love me with the church. Generally he does but occasionally he may test you know it's going to be looking for while you're going to live to this commitment you made because you love me and I said amen that's right yes Lord, when we started think about building a new auditorium you member the higher the architect campaign with a higher the architect I forgot how much the architect, the cost a lot to what we had and I thought well I'm the pastor the church if I'm in charge. My people give generously. I've got to do that I can't be a hypocrite in this thing once again we didn't have any money in the bank but I had bought a new four-wheel-drive vehicle. It was the first four-wheel-drive vehicle I ever owned and I loved it.

I could just get out in the woods and sling dirt motives is fun and I said Pam you know the only real way. We've got a given money as we got good equity in that car. Let's sell that car and I'll get a little something to drive in down the road. Maybe I can get another one and so we sold the car gave those thousands of dollars to the higher the Arctic campaign and it would not all know to three months later offending the church gave Pam and a brand-new car.

God does that. What is the text something they will pour into your lap. It comes through human means, but you didn't see it coming. You know how would come and in the last one I'll mention is when we built this auditorium you member project 2000 ring about any of you we got a raise all this money we wanted up with this huge capital campaign.and I don't know but Bill Newman knows all these figures 1.4 $0.7 million which we got together up front in cash to build the building. I thought once again I have on the pastor. The church I'm charging these people. Let's build this auditorium for God's work. If I don't do it on hypocrite. So we did have really anything in the bank to look at but we made a pledge in faith were going get $30,000 to the building Not Atmos will been 300,000. Be honest and it was tough for a while but you know that money came from. We had started saving money to build the new house we now live in, and we put a bunch of money back to build that new house and so we just cleaned all that out and gave it to the building program of the church not here for the Messiah.

I'm not saying anybody else is supposed to do that you're not less spiritual if you didn't, are do not do those kind of things because I haven't done those come things a long time. All I'm saying to you when God impresses you, and you do it. It's amazing how he takes care, so we gave our money for a down payment to build a new house and part of that motivation was because my accountant at the time.

His name is Ricky Kennedy good brother good man he'd been telling me for several years with Jeff church keeps up in your salary church keeps being blessed. He said you need to sink all the money you can in a house. It's a great tax shelter specially for ordained ministers. You may not know this ministers get an extra deduction. Nobody else gets it's a huge, huge blessing, he should put all you can and how so that's what we're trying to do, but we gave that to the building program and until years now. Here's the point. After we gave our last dollar on that $30,000 above and beyond commitment.

The two years after that there were six different channels of financial blessing that came to us that enabled us to build the house we live in. The date channels you could have never figured out forgot just give you one real quick church member called me said pastor I know you love woods and I know you thought about maybe investing in real estate one day.

If, as as part of your retirement should I've got this family that lives in Georgia.

They've inherited some land up here in Calvert County and they'd given me the price I think it's a great prize that you want to buy that land.

What had no idea what went well and McDonald's so I called another church member who does that. He looked at the land should boy you better, but started having money so went to the bike bar the money bought the land month later, I sold the timber to much later sold the land and we had a huge pile of cash with the other five channels to put a very big large down payment on the house we been living in for 20 when you're careful and safe and yet they given to good measure, pressed down, running over a will pour into your life and you'll never be able to figure it out but I listen to me. The heart and to foundational thing. God's also wants to know do you work hard you spin responsibly. Do you invest wisely and do you give generously and I will tell you what it does, it humbles you and you come to a point in your life. I'm 41 almost 41 years into this thing now in your your your generous and gracious to your staff and that's biblical and write good but you realize you cannot explain my life based on my salary and what I give and what I have is not explainable it. Good work on paper, it just doesn't it all be said of all of us.

I can live like I live because I give like I give now are you listening pastor this morning. My story is not supposed to be your story, you may not space foster anything I've done, I will deliver for you. All I'm saying is you get with God and you honor him from your heart knowing that God, for some reason gave us an abundance of specific promises that as a general rule, he floods it back to us when we give and honor him first. Maybe some of you this year. I'll do something supercalifragilisticexpialidocious on this offering just just something unusual to say Lord I love you. I don't know, maybe not.

I would charge all of you as I'm going to do and I don't.

I think every year we've always done this. I will do at least a little more than last year and my faith commitment maybe five dollars, maybe $50.

It may need to be 500,000. I don't know but I charge you, can you do a little more than last year. Well house or time then I'm going to hurry Norman to the priority of giving the priority given. Giving is a real priority in our Christian discipleship and one of the primary reasons eight years because it reveals the heart, what, when you and you look at your bank account. When you look at your checkbook when you look at how you respond when material stuff comes up. It's a good checkup. What's Lord of your life or whose Lord of your life. Who's on the throne of your life is just a good checkup. I turned in my ties and offerings this morning dropped it in one of those boxes and I'll just be honest I try to give generously. Not my accountant sit back there. You asking the dispatch to give generously. I think it's a yes company would but sometimes if I get to looking at those numbers too much. I think I could back that off a bunch and do some other stuff, but I need to do on I need to give that you member that Dr. told you about a while back as a doctor, he found that there's a nerve that wraps all around your heart and that nerve has a linkage it comes off that nerve and it goes down through your hip and it connects to your billfold. You want to find a man's heart found out what that billfold about and God knows that is just a check up at the weekly checkup of Laura, are you looking to you as long bring these ties and offerings because you're my source well tied closely to that in Matthew 621 to good verse there where your treasure is, there were your heart be also. You found one you found the other where your treasure is there. We heart be also. Well, secondly, get rid of the heart. There's actually a spiritual discipline and giving that sanctifies you. It grows she was a Christian. It matures you in the faith.

God knew this and noticed especially from the Old Testament.

These text real real quick noticed the first here on these verses. The first and the best of the first notice those words. Proverbs 39 honor the Lord from your wealth and from the first of all your produce one of the first, because you need the exercise of putting God first with your giving Your heart. Keep putting God first.

See what you do helps what you are when your Christian number two Nehemiah 1035 and 36 in order to not bring the firstfruits of the grant and the firstfruits of all the fruit of every tree to the house of the Lord annually and bring to the house of our God, the firstborn of our sons and of our cattle, the firstborn of our herds not knowing what's the point here. God will bring you to send… All just the amount I want to know that it's the first could you need that discipline you need that reminder. It helps renovate your heart to put me first on and on we could go vicious and coincidental foes, God has a purpose. Exodus 3426 and you shall bring the very first of the firstfruits of your soul into the house of the Lord your God. This is agricultural people that you hate our Starbase only based on this year's crops. But when the crop came in got did you keep it. The first thing you harvest into your storehouse for your family to eat.

That's not your heart's not right there. You bring the first to my temple. Then I'll make sure that yours never runs out you need it, renovates the hornet disciples you to put him first numbers 1812. All the best, not just the first but the best of the first. All the best of the fresh old all the best of the fresh wine of the grain, the firstfruits of those which they gave the Lord I give them to you here in this context the sender for the priesthood for the minister. You bring the best of the first to God's work. He says Ezekiel 4430 and the first of all, the firstfruits of every kind, of every contribution of every kind and from all your contribution date is not exhaustive enough shall be for the priest you shall also give to the priest, the first of your go. That's bread, because a blessing to rest on your house but to cause a blessing to rest on Europe.

If you believe God or not thinking if the Lord of our tribal ties and offerings in ways far greater and better than money, he brings a blessing on my household in first Corinthians 16 to on the first day of second the principal here on the first day of every week let each one of you put aside and save us he may prosper no collections be made when I come. What's God saying God saying you need that exercise to remind you your trusting me and looking to me well.

Thirdly it meets the needs of the Lord's work. It meets the needs of the local church. We know that in actually in Scripture when you look at the New Testament. Only two basic things that that the offerings of the early church were concerned with the pastors and the poor. The church was in Gaia encountering rather abrupt hardships and persecution some difficulties and are lots of folks who just needed food to eat, so they gave their money to support the passage but also I take care of one another was special and difficult needs. Roman three. The pleasures of giving the pleasures of giving you heard the phrase give till it hurts. That's ridiculous. Christians don't give till it hurt, that's ridiculous.

That's what pagans would Christians give out of joy. Have you ever heard me say, give what you can give with joy. You know I say that because I mean that if it's $1.01 million. Do what you can do with joy. There is a pleasure in giving. If you give till it hurts. If that's the case, don't give it all.this not want your begrudging gift he doesn't want it.

He doesn't need it. The Scripture teaches so that there is great pleasure. One of the call immediate pleasure. There's an immediate pleasure that happens when we give our tithes and offerings. Or maybe just give the blessed brother and sister in Christ who has a special need second print is 97 Bentley funded justices purpose in his heart, not grudgingly earned the compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

You've heard it before the were cheerful means hilarious. It does something to me when I bring my ties and offerings are special gift and give it to bring us sweet pleasure and a joy to my heart and I won't let them know that only works for the child of God only works for the child of God. Proverbs 10 verse three reminds us, the Lord will not allow the righteous to hunger, but he will thrust aside the cravings of the wicked will not allow those who put first his kingdom hunger is going take care of us. The bottom line is folks, he's my source. He is my source.

There's joy and there's pleasure in giving because he's my source insult when I give, and it speaks to my heart afresh and it reminds my heart you're looking to the Lord to take care of you that I think about the Lord. I think about all my goodness, the one who came for me, the one who died for me, the one who suffered, and bled for me when he faithfully intercedes for me, the one who pledged the totality of his being to keep me secure and bring me to glorification. I don't know about you that gives me pleasure to think on him as my source. Not that company I work for. Not that stock investment. I've got that's all good and wise we should do those things. But he is our source, but lastly there's a growing pleasure as we have seasons of giving generously and joyously it brings us to a new level of maturity. It develops a spiritual character in us that produces an increasing lesson and lasting pleasure in God. Again, money is a great tool but it is a dangerous tool.

And God knows it takes many years of training for you to find pleasure and your money and not be hurt by the dangers associated with money and giving is the Greatest Way, God has found the keep his children's hearts right so that they will not hurt themselves but rather bless and help themselves. Now you may be sending you. You may be begrudging. What I'm saying. Here's what I will say to you were that keep it do what you want. I'm not big I'm talking to God's children about the blessings he's given us and not beaten you up if you don't belong to no one in this amen it that's that's twin you and your God.

The dangers of money. Proverbs 28, 22, those who hasten after wealth want will come upon them. First, MP3 three says be free from the love of money for Timothy 610. Those who love money pierced themselves with many agree for pain. Luke 1215.

Even when one has an abundance.

Our life does not consist of that advantage. It doesn't consist of the stuff we have, though God may let us have a lot of stuff and there's nothing wrong with enjoying it, but it's not our joy.

Proverbs 30 verse eight. Don't let me be rich or poor.

Give me what I can handle.

Basically that's what that saying God. You know I am. Don't let me have so much it becomes an idol and gets in the way of my devotion to you. Some of you the best thing you could do is God's blessed you best thing you can do is to submit for God to get chart back racked well true financial success is when God provides your needs and most likely if you been faithful in these biblical principles. He provides more than your needs. You have an abundance.

That's true of all American Christians basically truthfulness of consensus when God provides our needs and likely an abundance because you honored him through hard work, responsible spending. Wise investing and generous giving and this abundance is enjoyed. But it's never enslaving. It's a blessing, but it's never possessing that is true financial success that we come to our faith commitment this year. What's most important heart attitude. Lord I love you. I want to strive to make the kind of faith commitment that PERT puts first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, knowing your my source your my provision. He prompts all these things shall be added unto you. Here's what's interesting. Some people are missing out on significant financial gain because they've never learned to put first the kingdom and God's fiscal let you scratch until you learn to do that and on the other hand, if, in the providence of God Jeff Nodland and all of us come to almost nothing to be devoted to Christ praise his name.

Do I want to do that if I will sign up for that today I don't. But if that's God's will. You'll then praise his name. Amen. Then will dispute about chickens and hogs and will just slaughter them pluck woman feed each other, do what we gotta do what you know you have joy there to Caesar joy